Intelligent Roaming System with Over the Air Programming

1. A computer readable medium that stores a computer program for providing wireless carrier information to a mobile station for determining a preferred wireless carrier, the computer readable medium comprising: a storing code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to store data relating to a plurality of wireless carriers corresponding to a plurality of market areas; an identifying code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to identify at least one wireless carrier from the data relating to the plurality of wireless carriers based on at least one of a class of service and an account of the mobile station; and a transmitting code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to transmit data indicating the identified at least one wireless carrier to the mobile station.

2. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 , further comprising: a determining code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to locate the mobile station prior to the transmission of the data indicating the identified at least one wireless carrier.

3. The computer readable medium according to claim 2 , in which the determining code segment locates the mobile station by communicating with a home location register associated with the mobile station.

4. The computer readable medium according to claim 2 , in which the determining code segment locates the mobile station by communicating with a visitor location register associated the mobile station.

5. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 , further comprising: an updating code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to determine when the storing code segment stores updated data relating to at least one of the plurality of wireless carriers, the identifying code segment identifying the at least one wireless carrier from the updated data.

6. The computer readable medium according to claim 5 , in which the updated data comprises information indicating that the at least one of the plurality of wireless carriers changed a communication characteristic for one of the plurality of market areas.

7. The computer readable medium according to claim 6 , in which the communication characteristic comprises at least one of a roaming airtime rate and an air interface technology.

8. The computer readable medium according to claim 5 , in which the transmitting code segment transmits updated data indicating the identified at least one wireless carrier to the mobile station.

9. A computer readable medium that stores a computer program for providing information regarding a plurality of wireless communication systems to a plurality of mobile stations, each mobile station using the provided information to select a preferred wireless communication system from the plurality of wireless communication systems in accordance with at least one of a class of service and an account of each mobile station, the computer readable medium comprising: a determining code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to determine when data corresponding to at least one of the wireless communication systems is outdated; a location determining code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to locate at least one mobile station when the data corresponding to the at least one of the wireless communication systems is determined to be outdated; and a providing code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to send updated data corresponding to the at least one of the wireless communication systems to the at least one mobile station at the determined location.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 9 , in which the updated data comprises at least one of a changed class of service, a changed billing rate or a changed technology.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 9 , in which the updated data comprises a band at which the at least one mobile station can locate the selected preferred wireless communications system from the plurality of wireless communication systems.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 9 , in which locating at least one mobile station comprises determining whether the least one mobile station is registered with a home location register corresponding to the at least one mobile station.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 11 , further comprising: a downloading code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to download the updated data to the at least one mobile station when the mobile station later registers with the home location register.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 9 , further comprising: a throttling code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to limit a number of mobile stations to which the updated data is sent over a predetermined period of time.

15. A computer readable medium that stores a computer program for providing information to a mobile station regarding a plurality of wireless communication systems corresponding to a plurality of market areas, the computer readable medium comprising: a configuring code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to configure the mobile station with initial data enabling the mobile station to select one of the plurality of wireless communication systems based on at least one of an account and a class of service; a determining code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to determine when at least a portion of the initial data changes; and a providing code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to send updated data corresponding to the changed portion of the initial data to the mobile station over one of the plurality of wireless communication systems.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 15 , further comprising: a location determining code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to locate the mobile station, wherein the one of the plurality of wireless communication systems over which the updated data is provided is identified based on a determined location.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 15 , further comprising: a receiving code segment, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable to receive the initial data from an administration terminal.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17 , in which the initial data is received over a packet switching network.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 15 , in which the updated data comprises information indicating an updated communication characteristic of at least one of the plurality of wireless conununication systems.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 19 , in which the updated communication characteristic comprises one of a roaming airtime rate and an air interface technology.